Reading all the various food blogs that cover our abundant restaurant scene in Little Rock, it occurred to me that there are far too many places that have been on my radar, that locals say this place is awesome, and that for whatever reason I haven’t visited. “Oh, I need to try that sometime” is something I say way too often to anyone who’ll listen. And also, “I haven’t written anything in a while! Let’s take care of that!” So today, I made it a point to get out to Tacos 4 Life, located in the Shackleford Crossings shopping center. And then write about it.
There’s a real, worthwhile, feel-good reason to visit this restaurant: Tacos 4 Life tackles hunger by donating a portion of each meal to Feed My Starving Children. But unicorns and rainbows could only carry the concept so far: customers are also going to want a decent meal to go along with their purchase. Can they expect one?
I’m happy to report that the meal was satisfying, and I’m looking forward to returning.
I arrived at the location around 11:30, which is usually when Little Rock is in full “get yer lunch on” mode. I noticed right away that the lot surrounding the building was full of vehicles, and counted myself lucky to find a parking spot toward the rear. The place is happening.
Having no preconceived notion of the franchise, I was expecting a kind of fast-casual experience like, say, Chipotle. I didn’t expect the dining room to be so cavernous! It was more like a funky cantina-style vibe, with a bright interior, strings of lights, and high wood-beamed ceilings. Definitely a great place to enjoy some tacos. Had the day been more agreeable, I would have chosen to sit out on the pleasant patio at the rear of the building. Maybe next spring.
The food process was pretty simple and expedient. I placed my order at the counter, received my number and a plastic cup full of Paradise Punch, and took my seat at a two-top near the side entrance. Quick side note: When I arrived I danced right up to the order-taker slash cashier with no wait, but the time I finished up and left, there was a line of maybe a dozen customers. This place is poppin’! Judge your arrival thusly.
“Paradise Punch? What the hell is Paradise Punch?” I hear you ask. It’s punch. Non-alcoholic, sweet, fruity … but with a touch of coconut. I’d just been on the treadmill for an hour, so this really hit the spot, but of course it undid my being on the treadmill for an hour. The straw comes with a small black phony mustache, which is a genius way to get people to take selfies with their beverages, thereby giving Tacos 4 Life a whole mess of free social media publicity.
Around ten minutes after I sat down, at typical fast-casual speed, my order arrived.
Behold! The Spicy Chorizo Taco Meal! With a side of Cilantro Pesto Rice!
The tacos were way larger than I expected. Local favorite Local Lime, who (still) slings my favorite tacos in town, uses much smaller tortillas. By comparison, these felt enormous. Not that I’m complaining! I’m just used to more … ahem … stingy sized tacos.
First, the chorizo. It was top notch. Not quite at the lofty level as Local Lime’s chorizo, but it comes awfully close. And it felt like a mountain of it had been stuffed into the tortilla. Very cumin-forward, dense yet crumbly, brimming with flavors of garlic and other spices. My first couple of bites I thought “ehhh, this isn’t really spicy” but as I progressed through the meal, there was a definite slow burn building. So, A+ to you, Tacos 4 Life, for getting the chorizo right.
The chorizo tacos come topped with Mexican corn, and cotija cheese, and fried jalapenos. The corn and cheese didn’t really contribute anything remarkable to the tacos. They were fine, but they were also like “whatever”. The real revelation was the fried jalapenos. I didn’t read the menu description beyond the word “chorizo” so I was expecting these to be pickled jalapenos. Imagine my surprise when I took a bite — and instead of a jalapeno, it was akin to eating a tiny chile relleno! Instead of a one-note pepper, there was a depth of fried goodness and well cooked chile. This was a really neat touch. Mind blown.
The rice was perfectly cooked, and the cilantro pesto was … for lack of a better word … interesting. Kind of bitter, and kind of earthy, I thought it could be brightened up a bit. I ended up liking it after adding a squeeze of lime and a dash of hot sauce, a variety of which is available abundantly by the fountain drink machine.
All in all, this was a happy little outing. I thought back to the moment when I’d just sat down at my table, and a server walked by with a platter of the Ultimate Nachos that another customer had ordered, and thought “those will be mine some day.” For now, my belly satisfied, and also my conscience, I knew I’d be returning.